Gatehouse Bank has launched its first apprenticeship scheme, with six A level students taking the first step in their career in Financial Services and joining the Shariah-compliant challenger bank.

The ‘Gateway’ Apprenticeship Scheme was jointly developed by Gatehouse Bank and early careers specialists, Visionpath, with aspirations to open up a world of opportunities in ethical finance for A-level qualified young people.

The new arrivals join the Bank following a four-month selection process which involved the Bank holding engagement sessions in schools, assessments and Gatehouse Bank staff providing one-to-one mentoring sessions over a five week period to ensure potential apprentices gained a greater understanding of the career opportunities in Banking.

The apprenticeships will last up to 18 months with the six apprentices joining various departments across the Bank including, Treasury, Risk, Specialist Finance and Marketing & Communications.

Sharron Harvey, Head of HR at Gatehouse Bank, said:

“We’re extremely pleased to launch the Gateway apprenticeship scheme and welcome our first intake of apprentices. The scheme has been specifically designed to support young people wishing to take the first step in their professional career path, with a view to fulfilling their early ambitions and aspirations in Financial Services.  We believe the development of young people within a structured environment which provides live job experience combined with structured learning will mean we contribute to the development of our community and hopefully the apprentices can go on to become the next generation of leaders within UK financial services.

Apprentice, Harry Oliver, who is joining the Bank’s Specialist Finance team, said:

“I feel really excited about starting my apprenticeship with Gatehouse Bank, because during my mentoring sessions the people that I met with were really easy to talk to, and it seemed like a good place to work. Also the job role itself links strongly to my personality and I feel that I would be able to express myself well in this role. I have now had a lot of time off after finishing my A levels, and I feel that I am now ready for full time work and I can’t wait to start.”

Patrick Philpott, Founder of Visionpath, said:

“Our aim with the Gateway programme was to recruit smart A level students from a range of backgrounds into Gatehouse Bank’s brand-new apprenticeship roles.  This vision has been realised with six smart, ambitious A level students joining the Bank today, embarking on exciting careers in a fast-growing business that’s pioneering a different approach to banking.  Through hard work and dedication, all of the apprentices have a bright future ahead.  We’re immensely proud of their achievements and wish them the best of luck in their new careers.”